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B.D. Willoughby June 10 7 p.m. Broadway Theatre (acoustic teaser at launch of Bill Waiser’s book A World We Have Lost) Free admission 9 p.m. Vangelis (full band performance, followed by Erroll Kinistino and the Dog River Band, and Eliza Doyle and Her New Best Friends) $10 or $5 with copy of A World We Have Lost

The striking image of a woman in black looking out at a hilly Saskatchewan countryside was the catalyst for a new album by Regina musician B.D. Willoughby. Qu’Appelle Valley is a roots record that beckons people to learn more about the history of the place for which it’s named.

Qu'Appelle Valley calls to B.D. WilloughbyBack to video

– B.D. Willoughby, aka Brett Dolter, discovered the photo through a book called Qu’Appelle: Tales of Two Valleys, which was created for an exhibit at the Mendel Art Gallery. It reminded him of the Legend of the Qu’Appelle Valley by E. Pauline Johnson, a story about two lovers who lived there. Returning from a hunt, a young man heard someone call out his name. He asked ‘Who calls?’ in French (‘Que Appelle?’), but heard no response. When he returned to his village his love had died. Residents told him before she died, she had called his name. Legend has it, you can still hear that call echoing through the valley. That story and photo inspired the title track of the album.

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– Dolter drew on history to write Qu’Appelle Valley’s nine songs. Historical figures like Louis Riel, Chief Big Bear, and farm leader E.A. Partridge all served to inspire the lyrics. “It is a roots record because it so connected to our roots and history here in this place. The songs themselves are rock and roll songs, with a sound reminiscent of the late 1960s,” said Dolter. Dolter himself learned many new things about the place he lives. He was most familiar with the story of Partridge, his great-, great-, great- uncle. “When I started looking more into his story I found out that he had actually joined up with the Canadian troops when they went to fight the Métis at Batoche. It made me think a lot about circles of empathy, how a person could be compassionate and fight for the rights of some, while not understanding the struggle of others to win their rights,” he said.

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– Dolter hopes listeners become more interested in Saskatchewan’s history through the music. The album is accompanied by a booklet that includes lyrics, photos that inspired the songs and references B.D. Willoughby used when researching the record. Fittingly, B.D. Willoughby will perform an acoustic preview of the songs at the launch of local historian Bill Waiser’s new book A World We Have Lost at the Broadway Theatre. “Bill is a great historian, and his book explores Saskatchewan history before 1905. I think our booklet and album and Bill’s book will make a really great combination for people who are interested in the history of Saskatchewan,” said Dolter.

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– B.D. Willoughby had its album release in Fort Qu’Appelle at the Qu’Appelle Valley Centre for the Arts (QVCA). “People there were very interested in learning more about the history of the place they lived in. I had someone come up to me after the show and say, ‘You know that bridge there that those troops were crossing in 1885? That used to run right through my yard!’ It’s great to be able to show people the history that lies beneath their feet,” said Dolter. The Saskatoon shows, which also include a full band set at Vangelis, feature Kris Smith on guitar, Scott Fulton on bass, and Mark Budd on drums.

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